tirta empul temple

Viral Video Shows 2 Foreign Tourists Fighting during Melukat Ceremony at Tirta Empul Temple Bali

Share:

A video circulating online captures a confrontation between two foreign tourists at Tirta Empul Temple in Bali during the Melukat ceremony on 16th January 2024. The dispute erupted when one tourist refused to wear the mandatory sarong required for the Melukat ritual.

Uploaded by the TikTok account @ugcbyvy, the footage shows the Tirta Empul Temple management attempting to intervene and escort the non-compliant tourists out of the pool. It appears that one of the tourists expressed dissatisfaction with the Melukat ceremony’s sequence.

 

@ugcbyvyvy BRINGING AWARENESS: please if you enter the pura tirta empul respect the rules of the place and their religion. This is a sacred place and if you can not simply respect the people, please do not attend this place. He was very agressive. #tirtaempultemple #tirtaempulholywater #tirtaempulbali #templebali #indonesia #indonesiatemple #tirtaempul ♬ origineel geluid – Vyvy | UGC creator


The bald tourist vocalized his discontent loudly. Onlookers, including other tourists at Tirta Empul Temple, could only observe from a distance, and many recorded the incident.

In the comments section of the video, numerous Balinese individuals and other foreign tourists criticized the behaviour. Here are some comments from TikTok netizens expressing their thoughts on this controversial incident:

“Tirta Empul has changed from its sacred nature; now it feels like a public bath 🥺. It doesn’t hold the same sanctity, especially when people of different religions come there to bathe,” commented @adeita_3.

“Tirta Empul should be preserved exclusively for religious activities. For tourists and the general public, a man-made Tirta Empul could be created nearby,” commented @redi.roses.

The Tampaksiring police, situated near the area, have confirmed the incident. The chief of Tampaksiring police, AKP I Putu Agus Ady Wijaya, mentioned that the altercation between the foreign tourists is not undergoing legal processing, as both sides have reconciled.

Tirta Empul is a renowned destination for tourists participating in the Melukat ceremony in Bali. Many people hope that this incident serves as an isolated occurrence in the sacred Hindu community area. Disrespectful actions within these sacred areas are feared to generate negative energy and violate local customs.

Interested in this topic? Check out our other articles from Social Expat!

Content Writer

Yuriz absolutely loves content writing and exploring the nitty-gritty of various topics. It all started by chance, but writing quickly became an essential part of her life! Plus, she is a huge K-pop fan, jamming out to it all day, every day!

Related News

Apple’s latest smartphone, the series, has officially received its Domestic Component Level (TKDN) certification from Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin), marking a crucial step towards its release in the country. The certification was issued on Thursday, 11 September 2025, and announced publicly the following day. “Four TKDN certificates have been issued for iPhone 17 products, […]

The Bali Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has reported that the death toll from severe flooding across the island has risen to 18 people, with five others still missing. The Bali floods, which struck Bali in the early hours of Wednesday, 10 September 2025, caused widespread damage and disruption across several regencies. “The total number […]

The Toba Caldera Geopark in North Sumatra has regained its green card status as a member of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network following revalidation at the 11th executive committee meeting of the Global Geopark Network (GGN) Conference in Kutralkura, La Araucania, Chile, on Saturday, 6 September 2025. This development comes after the site received a […]

With more than 3 million viewers recorded on its 35th day of screening, Thursday (14 August 2025), film Sore: Istri dari Masa Depan (Sore: Wife from the Future) has been officially selected to represent Indonesia at the 98th Academy Awards in 2026. The announcement was made by the Indonesian Oscar Selection Committee after a plenary […]

Indonesia Guide

Just For Fun

Write For Us

Exclusive Promotions

Event Gallery